Pac-Pix Review - DS

While Pac-Man’s dot-munching exploits have been the stuff of video game legend, Namco went back to the drawing board, literally, for its second handheld title on the Nintendo DS. The result is an action puzzle game specifically designed to take advantage of the touch-screen platform, with players drawing their own version of Pac-Man and then guiding it across the screen using nothing but the stylus. Pac-Pix began its life as a DS technology demo before it was fleshed out into a full release. Would Pac-Pix ultimately end up being more gimmick than game?

Lean and Fit?

Pac-Pix certainly doesn’t overwhelm players with options, features, or game modes. There is one game and one game only in Pac-Pix, a fast-paced puzzler divided into 12 chapters. Each chapter is comprised of five “pages,” with the object being to eliminate a set number of ghosts from the playing field. This is accomplished by quickly drawing a Pac-Man anywhere on the lower screen and watching it automatically gobble up enemies in its path. To catch ghosts above or below him, players must draw a wall, creating a barrier that forces Pac-Man to change directions.

And the Things You Draw Come True…

The goal is to eliminate the ghosts before running out of lives or before time expires. Each time the yellow creature runs off the screen’s edge, it's permanently erased and you’ll have to draw another one. You can also draw up to three Pac-Men on the screen at once to consume ghosts as quickly as possible, but it’s easier to lose lives this way since you have to frantically scramble to keep them from leaving the playfield. The size of your Pac-Man also matters. Larger drawings cover more area but move slowly, while smaller images race across the screen.

Becoming an Escape Artist 

Like most puzzle games, Pac-Pix mixes things up as you advance through its 60 stages. The top screen features a tunnel that Pac-Man can enter from the two upper corners of the touch-screen, allowing him to reach additional ghosts, an extra life, or a piece of fruit for bonus points. Different types of ghosts will make an appearance, each requiring a different technique. Some ghosts require multiple gobbles before disappearing, while others can only be consumed from behind. One of the most fun additions is drawing arrows that launch toward the top screen to knock down ghosts, hit switches, or to ricochet off mirrors. Later stages let you draw bombs to eliminate barriers.

An Image Problem

The challenge in Pac-Pix comes more from quickly drawing a clean image than from solving a puzzle--once you understand the basics, there really isn’t much variety in what you need to do. Though there are barriers, switch blocks, and even numbered ghosts to consume in sequential order, the game is not tough to beat. It all comes down to how well the system registers your input, with arrows being particularly hard to draw consistently. Another problem is the lack of continuity. Doing well on chapter one has no bearing on chapter two, for instance, so the replay value is tied to beating a high score on a particular five-page chapter. Since the game saves after each chapter, the entire mode can be run through within hours.

Win, Lose, or Draw?

Pac-Pix is fun while it lasts, but like the title character’s insatiable appetite, you will be hungry for more. It needs more levels, more objects to draw, and a few alternate play modes to make this game worth penciling in for most puzzle game fans. There’s also no reason why the original arcade game couldn’t have been “pac-ed” onto this cart, perhaps with the ability to guide the character with the stylus instead of the directional pad. As it stands, Pac-Pix is an entertaining diversion for a few hours, but its long-term value is more than a little sketchy.